GCSE Religious Studies Islamic Beliefs Revision Booklet Paper 1: Religious Beliefs and Practices
Islamic Beliefs Learning Checklist This personalised learning checklist (PLC) is to help identify what and how to revise. The middle column asks how confident you feel about each topic. Red Help! Amber Not 100% but nearly there. Green - Bring it on! I know this! Red What you need to know Amber Green I can explain what is meant by the Oneness of God and the supremacy of God s will. I can describe key beliefs of Sunni and Shia Islam. I can describe the nature of God. I can explain Muslim beliefs about Angels and their purpose. I can explain what is meant by predestination. I can explain beliefs about life after death. I can explain the concept of Prophethood and link this to Adam. I can retell stories about Ibrahim and explain his influence on Muslims. I can give key events from the life of Muhammad. I can explain why Muhammad is so important to Muslims. I can give explain why Imams are important in Shia Islam and I know what the Twelvers are. I can identify Holy Books in Islam and describe their importance.
Islam and Key Beliefs: Glossary Adalat Akirah Al-Quadr Beneficence Imamate Immanence Justice Mercy Omnipotence Predestination Resurrection Risalah Shi a Sunni Tawhid Transcendence Usul ad-din Justice in Shi a Islam Belief in the life after death Predestination of the will of Allah; the belief that Allah has decreed everything that is to happen in the universe An act of charity or kindness in an effort to do good for others Leadership The belief that Allah is closer to us than our heartbeat and is involved in the world Fairness in society or the right thing to do To show forgiveness and compassion to those who do wrong The belief that Allah is all-powerful The idea that everything that happens is known or has been decided already by Allah Rising from the dead or returning to life Communication between man and Allah in the form of books, angels and prophets A Muslims who adheres to the Shi a branch of Islam; followed by about 10% of Muslims Muslims who follow the Sunnah (The Way of the Prophet); about 90% of Muslims The belief in the Oneness of Allah and the unity of His being Allah is outside the world, beyond everything, and outside time The foundations of faith in Shi a Islam
12-mark sample question planning and practice: Islam and Key Beliefs (Component 2) Use your book and your coloured exam-technique sheet to plan answers to these possible 12-mark questions. Lay your work out like this, and aim for 2-4 reasons in each side (although you don t need an even number on each side!): Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should: refer to Muslim teachings give developed arguments to support this statement give developed arguments to support a different point of view reach a justified conclusion. Here are some examples: a) Allah cannot be immanent and transcendent b) Belief in the Oneness of Allah is all a Muslim needs to have c) For a Muslim, believing that Allah is all-powerful is not important d) It is impossible for humans to be truly just e) Belief in angels has no impact on the life of Muslims f) Mika il is more important that Jibril g) Religious believers have no proof that the afterlife exists h) The Muslim idea of Paradise is just wishful thinking i) Muslims should be more concerned with this life than the next
The Nature of Allah Allahu Akhbar: Said in the Shahada means that God is the greatest; for Muslims God is the greatest being imaginable. The Qualities of God God is immanent, within all things and close to people. God is transcendent, beyond all things. God is greater of the Universe. Compassionate towards people. Omnipotent, all knowing Beneficent, Source of all goodness Merciful, understands suffering and forgives if people are truly sorry. Acts with fairness and justice. A Judge: Will hold people to account. How does the nature of Allah influence a Muslim today? 1. Try hard in everything because Allah gave you gifts. He is always with you to help you (transcendent). Allah is testing me so I must keep trying. 2. In the toughest of situations Allah will be there to help you through. You need to believe in him. Bad things happen to good people as a test of faith. 3. Some people interpret religion wrongly. Muslims should use their knowledge to teach others about the right way to be a Muslim: fair and just.
There are 99 names for Allah in the Quran and Haddiths. They allow Muslims to understand God for example: The Holy The Guide The exceeding merciful Some memorise the names and recite them when praying privately. The most excellent names belong to God: use them to call on him Quran 7:180 Tawhid: The Oneness of Allah Tawhid is the most important belief about Allah (God) in Islam, which means oneness. Tawhid begins with the idea that there is one God (monotheism). Shahadah: There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet Sin of Shirk is the unforgivable sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism; for there is only one God. This could involve practicing polytheism, producing statues etc. of Allah, or even putting yourself on a par with Allah eg. by murdering (only Allah can give and take life). Quote from Qur an He is Allah the One and Only Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has power over all things. There falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the Earth, nor anything green nor withered but it is all in a clear book. Meaning and link to Tawhid Allah is the only God (monotheism) Allah is Omnipotent (all powerful) Allah is Omniscient (all knowing)
Allah: Beneficence and Mercy In Islam Allah is known as the beneficent (Al-Rahman) and the Merciful (Al- Rahim), so Allah is kind, compassionate and forgiving. Allah shows these by being just and fair. In the Qur an, Allah is referred to 57 times as the Benefiecient and over 160 times as the Merciful. Muslims are reminded of this each day as in the daily prayer these names are recited seventeen times. How is Allah the beneficent and merciful? 1. He sent the prophets as guides to the right path, so He is compassionate and humans have Free Will to follow His path. 1. The mercy of Allah is reflected in the rules within the Qur an. 2. Making mistakes is part of being human, but Allah always forgives those who repent. Out of mercy Allah forgives and even repeated sin is forgiven. Muslims have the chance to make up for bad deeds. 3. Allah s mercy allows humans to exist, to live, to love and to care. Muslims are never alone. Allah s compassion surrounds them and mercy helps them deal with being human. 4. Suffering clearly exists but it is a test of faith to see how humans respond even where it seems beyond comprehension. 5. Humans should focus on the good (charity, loving kindness, family togetherness, selflessness) of which there is much. They should not think only of the bad (eg. war, poverty, disease).
Allah: Fairness and Justice This shows Muslims how fair and just Allah is, and also how they must use this to inspire their own behaviour: Try to act fairly towards others and bring about justice on Earth Do good deeds Never be too extreme (one way or the other) Shi as know that humans can never loose anything as everything is Allah s; even in their suffering they know that God would never be unjust
Allah: Immanence and Transcendence Immanence We are closer to Him (Allah) than our Jugular vein (Quran 50: 16) This shows Muslims that Allah is closer to them than anything else. The idea that Allah is always with them will bring great comfort to Muslims, and also may make them think about their behaviour as he s always able to watch them using his angels. And He is with you wherever you may be (Quran 57:4) Transcendence No vision can grasp Him He is above all comprehension (understanding) (Quran 6: 103) Muslims understand that Allah is beyond understanding! Because of this He is able to perform greater deeds than we can even imagine, and Muslims must also accept that He may make decisions we cannot understand (eg. evil and suffering are part of His plan). Nothing there is like him (Quran 42:11) Because Allah is unique, Muslims will value their relationship with him above all else, even if He is beyond understanding
Five roots of Usul ad-din in Shi a Islam Tawhid Sunni s and Shi ites both believe in this. Muslims believe Allah is the absolute. There is no other God and no one is like him. He is Allah, the One, Allah the Eternal and Absolute Surah 112:1-4 Only worship Allah Al- Ma ad This means RESURRECTION: the belief that after death the body is raised from the grave to be judged by Allah. Shi ite Muslims believe there will be a day of judgement. Every Muslim and non Muslim will be judged by Allah and if they have been good they will go to paradise and if they have been bad they will go the Hell. Believe in life after death Adalat This means the Justice of Allah. Allah is the Just (fair) and the wise which means he does no wrong. The Shi'ite Muslims believe they need to be aware there is good and evil in everything, but Allah commands them to do good. Indeed Allah commands you towards Justice Surah 16:90 Remember always to do good deeds Nubuwwah Shi ite Muslims believe that Allah sent messengers to guide people to the right path and the prophet Muhammad was the last one and his job was to lead Muslims on the right path. The right path means a peaceful way of life, lived in total submission of Allah. Prophets deliver the messages to spread the religion. The Imam protects the messages so people do not forget. Follow teachings of Muhammad Imamate This means Leadership. Some people believe that the prophet Muhammad said that twelve imams from his own tribe (the Quranysh) would succeed him as leaders. Shi ites believe that the first eleven led the community, some were killed, but that the twelfth disappeared after his fathers death. The Imam will appear again when Allah decides at the end of time. Imams are seen as good and can do no wrong. They must be obeyed. They are considered the protectors of the faith. Follow teachings of Imams THINK: How might each affect a Muslim s life?
Six Articles of Faith in Sunni Islam Tawhid: oneness of Allah Muslims believe Allah is the absolute. There is no other God and no one is like him. He is Allah, the One, Allah the Eternal and Absolute Surah 112:1-4 This means that Allah is the creator and sustained of life. He is beyond any human limitation (He can do ANYTHING). He was not born and he cannot die. He has no partners or children. Nothing is like him. Do not worship others Belief in Angels Muslims believe that angels exist and that they do the work of Allah. They deliver revelations via the prophets so Muslims know what Allah wants them to do. The angels record the actions of each individual person so that when they are judged they can be accounted for. Angels receive souls at death. Angels do NOT have free-will like Humans. They obey Allah. Do good deeds with good intentions Beliefs in Holy Books The five sources of authority are book: The Torah of Moses The Psalms of David The Gospels The scrolls of Abraham The QUR AN Muslims believe the first four have been lost or changed in history and that the Qur an is the only scripture in its original form. The Qur an is the direct word of Allah. Show respect for Christians and Jewish teachings.. Belief in Qadr: Allah is in charge of the past, present and future Muslims believe Allah has control over everything. Sunni Muslims believe Allah knows everything past, present and future. Qadr means everything is ordered by Allah. Humans do have free-will but because Allah knows past present and future their choices are already known to him Surrender to the will of Allah Belief in judgement Muslims believe in a day of judgement when all Muslims and non Muslims stand alone in front of Allah and are judged. They will go to either paradise or hell depending on their actions. Everyone must accept the consequences of their actions on earth Do good deeds with good intentions. THINK: How might each affect a Muslim s life? Belief in Prophets and Messengers Muslims believe that throughout history Allah has chosen Prophets and messengers to deliver to word and directions of Allah to mankind. Muhammad was the last prophet of Allah; he was given the ultimate guidance in the Qur an Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but the messenger of Allah Qur an 33:40 Respect Muhammad and his teachings.
What are angels? What do angels do? Angels Angels bring the word of God to the prophets. For Sunni Muslims this is part of the articles of faith. Angels are unseen, made from light and are supernatural beings. Directly receive God s word and pass it on to the prophets. They are pure and sinless, having no freewill and can nit displease God. They praise and worship God. Some are guardian angels, who protect a person. Others are responsible for recording in the book of deeds which will be presented on the Day of Judgement. Angel Isafil will blow a trumpet to announce the day of Judgement. Angel of Death has helpers to take people to take people to God. Angels escort to Paradise and guide hell. Jibril is one of the archangels (The higher status angels). The Qur an says Jibril is the messenger of Allah to the prophets. Jibril was the angel who revealed the Qur an to ﷺMuhammad from God. Jibril guided ﷺ Muhammad throughout his life. Christians might know Jibril by the name Gabriel. He was the same angel who told Mary (known in Islam as Maryam) that she was pregnant with Jesus (Isa). Mika il (also known as Michael) is another of the 4 high ranking archangels. Mika il is an angel of mercy. He rewards people for the good they do in their lives on earth. One story of Mika il says he was so shocked by seeing hell that he has not laughed since. Mika il is only mentioned once in the Qur an and much of his story is from Islamic tradition. The mention is in Surah 2:98 Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and messengers, to Jibril and Mika il,- Lo! Allah is an enemy to those who reject Faith. This means you must accept belief in angels (especially Jibril and Mika il) to not face punishment of Allah.
Predestination and Free Will Who? Sunni Muslims Shi a Muslims What? Allah has determined everything in a book of decrees. Why? Sunnis believe in the Supremecy of God s Will (6 articles of faith) because of God s omnipotence. More emphasis is placed on God s omniscience than human freedom. Humans do still have a choice in how they behave. Quote Only what God has decreed will happen to us. He is our Master: let the believers put their trust in God Qur an 9:51 Allah knows everything that will happen, but does not decide what will happen. Humans still have free will. Allah is not bound by time but human events happen in time. Ice-cream example (mother and child). Time travel example doesn t remove the free will of the people you observe! God does not change the condition of a people [for the worse] unless they change what is in themselves Qur an 13:11 On the Day of Judgement, God will judge humans according to everything they ve done in their lives. Many Muslims believe God gave humans freewill so they are responsible for whether God rewards or punishes them for their choices. This shows that although God is omniscient, people are still responsible for their own actions.
Akirah: Life after Death Muslims believe in everlasting life after death ( Akirah ): 1. After death, the person waits in the grave for the Day of Judgement 2. As they lie in the grave, Allah sends two angels (Munkar and Nakir) to question them about their faith; they ll then either see the rewards to come or the punishments they ll endure in Akirah. Some believe punishments begin immediately Others believe people sleep in their graves until the end of the world 3. The Day of Judgement arrives when God s purpose for the universe has been fulfilled; on this day the world is destroyed and transformed into Akirah. 4. Israfil blows his trumpet and everyone is raised from the grave (resurrected) to be judged by God. 5. People are given new bodies and must face their good and bad deeds from their life, then be sent to either heaven or hell. Some believe heaven and hell are beyond human understanding Some believe they re symbolic of spiritual life in the presence or absence of God Others take the Qur anic quotes on this page literally. Importance and impact on Muslims: Part of the 6 Articles of Faith and the 5 Roots of Usul ad-din Shows all people will be held accountable by God Muslims avoid sin and do the right thing, keeping their faith Ensures justice is done (eg. for those good people who suffer in life, and those who aren t punished in this life for their bad deeds) Heaven/Paradise Gardens of happiness Qur an 22:23 A reward for what they used to do Qur an 56:24 Hell They will dwell amid scorching hot wind and scalding water Qur an 56:42 Garments of fire will be tailored for those who disbelieve Qur an 22:19
Prophet hood What is a prophet? Importance of prophets is known as Risalah. It is the gift given by God to help man understand his knowledge. Prophets are a line of communication with God. Instructions were needed to be given to remind man of the right path. Muslims believe there was 124,000 prophets of which 25 are named in the Qura and have been sent by God to every nation. They are important role models of people who have lived according to God s will. Important prophets include Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) Isa(Jesus) and Muhammad. Adam: The First Prophet Adam was the first man and first prophet. He was created by the dust of the ground and is respected as the father of the human race. God then asked Adam to tell the angels names of things they did not know. He told the angels to bow down to Adam but Iblis refused. Iblis was cast out of paradise and tempts humans to sin against God. God created Hawwa (Eve) to stop Adam being lonely. There was one rule to obey and Iblis tricked Hawwa into eating the fruit and they were kicked out of the garden, bring sin into the world and meaning humans will be judged. Adam was the first person to learn how to plant seeds, harvest crops and THINK: cook food. How might each God revealed to him which affect foods a Muslim s Muslims life? are allowed, how to bury the dead and repent for wrongdoings
Ibrahim & the idols Ibrahim wished to declare his faith in one God and stop idol worship. One day, everyone left town to go to a feast. He smashed all the idols,except one and placed the axe around the neck of it, telling the people to ask the idol who smashed everything, if idols were God they could answer. Ibrahim declared that it was wrong to worship idols as they cannot speak, hear, see or defend themselves. The people wanted to burn Ibrahim for what he had done. A miracle blew out the fire, only burning his chains.as a result of this many followed one God. The Prophet Ibrahim Why is Ibrahim important? He was promised to be father of all nations. Muhammad was descended from Ibrahim through his first son, Ishmael. He is a role model because of his obedience to God, kindness and compassion. He is an important figure in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, these faiths are called Abrahamic religions. Sacrifice Ibrahim had a dream, where he was asked to sacrifice his son. Ibrahim was willing to do this, showing his willingness to be obedient to God. At the festival so Id-ul-Adha, Muslims slaughter an animal to remember this. Hajj Ibrahim is also remembered when Muslims go on hajj. This is seen as a way to return to perfection of Ibrahim. Muslims often throw stones at the devil that tempted him to disobey God. When they run between the two hills and drink the water of Zamzam, remembering when Ibrahim s wife, Hagar, looked for water for Ishmael. Mecca is often referred to as the city of Ibrahim. Ibrahim and the Kaba Ka aba is a small building in the centre of Mecca. It is considered to be the house of God and the holiest place in Islam. It is believed that the original was built by Adam but was destroyed in the flood at the time of Noah. It was rebuilt by Ibrahim and his son Ishmael.
Timeline of Mohammed's Life 570 - Born in the town of Mecca. 575 - Orphaned and placed in the protection of his Uncle 595 - Marries Kadijah - an older, wealthy widow. They had six children. 610 - Receives first revelation from God, via the Angel Jibril during the month of Ramadan. 613 - Took his messages public. 622 Moves with his followers from Mecca to Medina. 624 - The start of three major battles with the Meccans 628 - The two sides signed a treaty recognising the Muslims as a new force in Arabia. 630 - Conquers Mecca (along with other tribes). 632 - Returned to Mecca to perform a pilgrimage. 632 - Dies in Medina after a brief illness. He is buried in the mosque of Medina. Muhammad & The Imamate Muhammad s teachings: He proclaimed that God is One and completely surrendered the only acceptable way to live. He challenged the people of Mecca to give up cheating, drinking alcohol, gambling and idol worship. This was not what the leaders of Mecca want and he fled persecution, with his followers to Madinah in 622 CE. This event is known as Hijah (departure) and marks the Ummah (worldwide family of Islam). The Night Journey saw Muhammad being carried on a winged horse like creature, to Jerusalem. He then ascended to heaven, witnessing the power of God and spoke to the prophets, including Jesus who instructed to pray five times a day. Muhammad gathered support of an army of and conquered Mecca in God s name., destroying 360 idols at the Kaaba. He introduced Muslim law, teachings and practices which are found in the Hadith and Sira texts and are still used as Islamic law (Shariah) today. The Twelver branch of Shi a Isla, believes that there have been 12 Imams. The last is believed to be being kept alive by God and hidden somewhere on earth to be return with Jesus to bring equality and justice. The Twelvers believe that the Imams not only rule but are able to maintain and interpret the Quran and Shariah law without fault. They believe that the Imams continue to guide people to follow the laws correctly. They believe that there has always been an Imam who is descendent of Muhammad.
Importanc e of the Quran Contents of the Quran Other holy books Torah (Tawrat) The Psalms (Zabur) The Gospel (Injil) Holy books in Islam The Quran is the word of God, revealed by the angel Jibril over 22 years. It contains the foundation of faith. It is an Infallible source of authority. The original is believed to be in paradise, so when they read it, it is as if God s words are being spoken directly to them. Quran means recital. Muhammad s followers memorised and scribes wrote it down. Abu Bakar was commissioned to make an official copy. Converts began to read the Quran. Quran is a mixture of historical accounts and how to follow God. There are 114 surahs (chapters) It begins with al Fatihah, which means opener. This is a prayer for guidance Except for one, they start with In the name of God, the Lord mercy, the Giver of Mercy Muslim Children are encouraged to learn Arabic so they can read the Quran in its original language. Those who can recite the whole Quran are known as hafiz. Other Holy Books They do not have the same authority of the Quran as they have been distorted or corrupted. The Torah was given to Musa and is mentioned 18 times in the Quran. They believe over time it has changed. Were revealed to David and mentioned three times in the Quran. The Gospel is mentioned and refers to the book of divinely revealed to Isa, but was lost. It s message is still found in the Bible and the word Injil appears 12 times. The scrolls of Abraham have been lost and are thought to be the earliest scriptures of Islam.